The Relentless
by Moshier1
Summary: The sequel to 'A Peal of Thunder'. Ten years have pass since the formation of the Empire, and even now the evil Don was warned of has not shown itself. He and Elsa deal with treachery, even from close family, as war hangs over their heads. Can they protect their family? Or is the end coming?
1. Chapter 1

"Honestly, I thought the battle flag alone would have scared them off."

Donner Ushkui, Emperor of Sweden, grunted in response as he lowered his spyglass.

"One day we'll have to have a word with old Esther about who she gives letters of Marquis to, since, unless I miss my guess, that's a Norwegian raider. Look at the hull design."

Lars Darvos, the captain of His Imperial Highness' Swedish Ship _Akula_, took the spyglass and studied the onrushing ship, its extensive sails snapping taut in the wind. Two others were also bearing down on them, trying to cut off their course.

"I don't know sire, it could almost be a German ship, on its way back from the north. Strange to think that Norway and the German states declared war on each other." He said, holding the rail and lowering the spyglass. "Especially since Corona seems to have started it."

Don cursed under his breathe, thinking of the sheer _stupidity _of what the King had done. Interring a dozen Norwegian cargo ships… For no other reason than he could. _Stupid_. And then the King had made Don's ambassador to Corona feel very unwelcome when he delivered Don's formal protest for the action.

"Whoever it may be," He said as he wrenched himself from those thoughts, "They're ignoring the fact that we're flying a Swedish flag," Don looked back at the massive flag flying from the stern, the flag of Sweden with a Crown in the top right corner, signifying his flagship, "I'm just glad we were able to get Elsa, Anna and the children aboard the _Empress of Sweden_. If this comes down to a fight… I don't want them in the crossfire."

"Rightly so, My Lord," Lars replied, looking to the south, where three others ships sailed parallel, "Her Majesty and the Princess will be safe with the rest of the squadron. But that leaves us to deal with them alone. I don't even know if the _Akula _could carry the day without massive damage."

Don watched the oncoming ships, as the crew of the _Akula, _stood at their stations. She was newly built, less than a year old, and in the opinion of almost every one of Don's naval advisors, she was the most powerful ship afloat currently., though that would probably change by the time he returned home. Twenty six cannons lined each of her broadsides, with two guns, bow and aft, on a pivots so that they could cover the rest of the ship.

She was big, bigger than her namesake, his father's old flagship, and fast and graceful for her size, but three privateers, each armed with at least half her own armament…

_That was the problem with introducing firearms, _he thought, taking a moment to check his own pair of pistols, and then adjust the Brimstone Blade where it sat upon his hip, _Most of the other nations copied my idea, though the speed that they did it leads me to believe that there was an outside force at work…_

His thoughts broke off as the ship that was bearing down upon the _Akula _let loose with its bow chasers, two guns that spoke with a bellowing roar, a sound cut down by distance. The sound of a cannonball skipping across the water, however, was much nearer.

"Fools, thinking they can hit us from that distance…" He heard Lars say, as the distance dropped. "And I still can't understand why their sailing right into our broadside…"

Don shrugged his shoulders and backed away, as an Imperial Guardsmen, resplendent in his black and gold uniform, stepped in to shield him.

"They want to board us," He said, looking towards the fifty black and gold clad men who wouldn't allow that to happen. He pitched his voice so that it carried to the far reaches of the deck, "What do we give those who wish to cause us harm?"

"Death!" The entire crew of the ship said, but his Imperial Guardsmen were the loudest, almost drowning out the crew.

"What do we show those who would take our land, and spoil our homes!"

"No mercy!"

"Will we stand together against the darkness?"

"Yes!"

Don drew the Brimstone Blade, holding it above his head. He hated giving these pre-battle speeches, but he knew that the men needed _something_.

"Then by my homelands most sacred artifact, I swear I shall stand beside you until our final enemy falls!"

"_We pledge our blades to yours!"_ Don nearly snickered, as most of the men didn't have a blade, so they raised their pistols or rifles above their heads.

Sheathing the Brimstone blade, he turned and watched the oncoming ships. The one coming directly at the _Akula's _broadside was now only a hundred yards away.

"Captain, you may engage the enemy!"

Lars looked at him, and then nodded.

"Two points to port! Open all gun ports, run out the guns!" The banging and rattling that followed seemed to shake the ship, as the twenty six gun ports on the starboard side were pulled open, and the menacing muzzles of _Akula's _guns were run out.

The privateer moved closer and closer, until Don could make out her crew running back and forth, trying to reload her forward guns, something they were doing, if a little sloppily.

"Fire are you bear!" Lars voice called, a call that was carried down into the gundeck by his lieutenants. "Let the bastards have it!"

In pairs, the big guns fired, a jarring impact that seemed to drive the warship sideways in the water. Each of them threw a thirty pound shot, or grapeshot, or even canister. But this time, Lars had chosen to use the regular roundshot.

_Even with all the training… We still haven't had to fight a naval battle with the new weapons…_

The enemy ship seemed to stop in the water, its mast cut in half, its deck becoming a gruesome abattoir. Don could hear the screams of her crew as those balls of death crashed through her hull, exploding splinters in every direction.

"Reload!" Lars called, even as the enemy ship began to turn. Someone in her gundeck must have survived, as her own cannons began to fire back raggedly. _Akula _shivered as a pair of shot, much lighter than her own, smashed into the gun deck, destroying one of the gun carriages and wounding several men. Ten seconds passed, then twenty, then thirty.

The lieutenant standing by the hatch raised his hand, indicating that the guns were reloaded, and Don watched as Lars himself took the wheel, bringing the ship slightly to starboard.

At a range of less than forty feet, _Akula _sent another broadside into the privateer, shattering her. Men manning the mast fired down onto her deck with rifles, killing the few remaining crew brave enough to be on her deck.

A cheer went up from the _Akula _as they sailed past the sinking ship, which died down suddenly as they noticed the other two ships were much closer now. A cannon bellowed, and Don suddenly felt a warm liquid running down his side. Turning to look, he saw the wheelman who was assisting Lars had been decapitated by that roundshot. Revulsion caused him to take a step back, and he was lucky he did, as another cannonball shattered the railing as it swept through the space he had just occupied.

Seeing Lars struggling with the wheel, Don leapt forward, and they turned the _Akula _to port, back towards the rest of the squadron.

"A stern chase is a long chase, right my lord?" Lars said nervously, trying to wipe blood from his face, only accomplishing smearing it across his face. "My lord?"

He looked at Don, who wasn't paying any attention to him, both hands still on the wheel, but looking back towards the two ships paralleling their course. They were steadily gaining on the _Akula_, as well as slowly trying to bracket the larger ship, so they could attack her from both flanks at once.

"Captain Darvos, load canister shot on every other gun in both broadsides," He said, looking the older captain right in his eyes, "We will move to engage the port ship as soon as the guns are loaded."

"But sir, if we signal the squadron they could come to our aid." He said, knowing that his Emperor would not allow it.

"No, the Empress and Princess must be protected." Don said, looking sadly down at his fist. "If needs be, as shall use my powers to make victory certain, though I pledged to use them as little as possible."

_For good reason_. He thought, remembering the uproar from neighboring countries when tales of his feats had become known. _The Hungry Emperor, _had been a common title of his in the ten years since his ascension to the throne, and creation of the Empire. The Church Triumphant had even tried to excommunicate him and Elsa for 'witchcraft', even though neither had been members. But his Empire was a happy nation, and had grown strong under his iron rule, with a bit of tempering from Elsa.

His army had grown strong and experienced during several skirmishes with his neighbors, and all of Sweden now belonged to him, as well as Weselton. _That _had been a large part of the anger towards the Empire, and him in particular, when the Duke, of his own free will, had negotiated his small nation's inclusion into the Empire in the fifth year of Don's rule.

_Jealousy is a powerful emotion_. Remembering the nobles of Weselton who had risen up, along with several of the other small nations of the German Confederation, and tried to wrest control of Weselton away from Sweden. It had not ended well for them. That had been the first battle that Don sent his freshly trained New Model Army into, fifteen thousand men armed with rifles and cannon, against fifty thousand regular troops.

To say it had been a slaughter was a moot point. Don's army had _annihilated _the attacking force, killing at least twenty thousand of them before they retreated in disarray. One particular memory would stick with him for the rest of his life though, of the final cavalry charge, with five thousand heavy, armored cavalry, backed by three thousand light horse.

Don had stood near the front of the fighting square that had been formed at the first sight of cavalry, and had watched the wavefront of horsemen sweep onwards. At the front had been a familiar knight, clad in red and yellow armor, a strange looking paper Mache eagle on the crest of his helm.

The thundering hooves had nearly drowned him out when he yelled his command to fire, but his eyes had stayed locked on Viscount Aaron Schindler, cousin of one of the neighboring countries Princes who were attacking Weselton. When the smoke had cleared, and the battle had been won, Don had waded out into the blood soaked field, finding the body of the Viscount with three holes punched into his chest plate and out the back.

And then, much to his men's shock, he'd begun to dig using a borrowed shovel, until the grave was large enough. Then he'd gently lowered the body into the hole, and filled it in. Upon his return to Weselton, he had a small monument carved and emplaced, with the simple inscription, "_He died as he lived, facing brave men."_ He'd also had the Viscounts helmet sent to his wife, having been told explicitly _not _to come in person, on pain of death.

Gunfire brought Don out of his rambling memories, as the bow chasers on both ship fired again, all their shots luckily missing. They were only a few hundred yards behind them, and the distance was closing at a steady rate, so the closer they got the better their aim would be.

"Hard to port! Unmask the port broadside!"

He put his own order into motion, tugging hard on the wheel. Lars hesitated for a moment, but took up the call, and began to push while Don pulled. The ship responded as she should, and heeled sharply over onto her starboard beam.

"Sire, we're going to lose all speed. We can't sail directly into the wind!" Lars said quickly, as the first enemy ship's captain began to panic, running straight down towards the _Akula's _broadside. But Don wasn't planning on letting the man cross his T, and kept his ship turning. The ship, now trying to sail directly into the wind, lost its speed almost instantly, but put them in an advantageous position. "The second ship will be able to engage us at will until we can find the wind!"

"Fire!"

The port battery fired, spewing smoke like a horde of dragons. Twenty six guns, half throwing solid shot, and half throwing canister shot. That had been one of his own ideas, having seen a 'shotgun' during a short trip to several cities on the coast of Estonia. Each of the shot contained forty tiny balls, meant to sweep a ship's deck clear, or to stop charging infantry.

They did their job in spades, the enemies' deck suddenly stained red in so many places. The round shot shattered the entire flank of the privateer, staving it in in several places.

"Away grapnels!"

Don's order sent several of the crew racing for the railing, the claw grapnels being thrown across to the enemy ship, whose surviving crew were just beginning to recover from the shock of _Akula_'s broadside.

"Boarders! With me!"

Don leapt across to the shorter ship, landing on his feet but being forced to roll onto his shoulder due to the height difference. Coming up, he found himself facing a pudgy faces young man, who just so happened to be holding a pistol in Don's general direction.

One of his own pistols was out, the shot cracking through the air. The headless body slumped to the ground, as Don threw down his pistol and drew a replacement, as well as the Brimstone blade, and leapt down from the command deck onto the deck proper.

His guardsmen were swarming over the rails, swords and pistols flashing, as they added to the blood running across the deck. Thunder crashed again as the _Akula _fired at point blank range into the little ship, which he saw was called the _Bounty_, due to a plaque that resided over the rear cabins door.

"Sire!" He heard a voice scream over the din of battle. It was Lars, who had followed behind him with an axe. "The other ship!"

Whipping around, he saw that the second privateer had turned and was about to cross to the aft of the _Bounty _and _Akula_, her gunports open. Charging back up the ladder that lead to the command deck, he gathered everything within himself, all of his power, all of his anger, and channeled it outwards. His hand came up, fingers curled and palm facing towards the enemy ship.

The sky began to darken immediately, and a great whirling mass of black clouds formed overhead, centered on the very close ship and…

A column of lightning burst from the center of the cloud, enveloping the enemy ship. He watch as the sails took to flame, turning to ash immediately, followed quickly by every man unlucky enough to be on the deck.

What drifted by the stern of the _Bounty _was no longer a ship, just a pile of ash that slowly began to sink beneath the waves.

As the clouds dissipated, and Don dropped down onto one knee, panting, he heard the ringing silence behind him, interrupted only by the sound of the two ships bumping together. Every eye that did not belong to an Imperial Guardsmen, each of whom had seen their Emperor use his powers, was locked on him, filled with fear at the way he had just shattered a ship singlehandedly.

_They don't know my true power… _He thought. _Not even Elsa knows that my strength has increased every year. I could blot out the skies all over Europe if I wished to._

And that was what caused Don to fear, one of the reasons he had chosen not to use his powers.

His men finished securing the ship, now dealing with a very frightened and compliant crew, and he reboarded the _Akula_, taking a seat along the rail while the rest of the squadron turned and proceeded back towards them.

"Sire, I think you should see this." Lars said, holding a roll of paper in his hand. "It's the letter of marque. Signed by the Prince Consort of Corona."

His eyes widening, he snatched the paper and read furiously, his heart turning to stone as he read it. It was not a true letter of Marque. It was a letter that detailed Don and Elsa's panEuropean trip, which they had planned for the last two years, to try to garner at least a smidgen of popularity and reinforce their few allies. And listed a two million golden sovereign bounty for the confirmed death of one Emperor Donner the First, the Relentless, of Sweden.

Don read it again and again, feeling the betrayal well up within him as he tried to convince himself that Eugene could never do something like this… But he could not bring himself to admit it was a fraud.

"Noone is to know of this. Not even the Empress." He said to Lars and his Guards. "But as of this moment, the Kingdom of Corona and her allies are at war with the Empire. What do we give to those who wish to cause us harm?"

_Death._

* * *

**Here it is folks! The first chapter of 'A Peal of Thunder's Sequel! Hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to review and follow!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Mother, Ansgar won't stop hitting me!"

Elsa felt her eye twitch at the mention of the heavyset little blonde boy, as Erik, her much smaller son said. Turning, Elsa tried to affect her most stern gaze, at the boy who even now guiltily kicking the wooden planking of the _Empress of Sweden_'s deck.

"Is that true, Ansgar?" She said, feeling like there was a knife in her back, as she looked at her husband's son.

_His bastard_. She thought scornfully, her blue eyes trying to bore a hole in the little boy's skull. Looking down at her own Erik, she felt a bit of jealousy, as he had clearly taken after _her_. The two boys were only weeks apart in age, and yet Ansgar topped her son by several inches.

_Ansgar, Duke of Highbend, and Crown Prince of Arskall_.

She and Don's argument over the boy had very nearly come to blows, as she sobbed and wept and struck him again and again, as he stood and took the punishment. She'd wanted nothing more than to send him and that _vile _Duchess Catherine away, but Don had _protected _them. Even confirmed them in their titles, before the entirety of the Imperial Court, acknowledging the boy as his own.

Shame had flushed her cheeks at how many people snickered when they caught sight of the two little boys. Ansgar was everything that his father and grandfather had been, and would easily equal them in size. Erik would likely barely reach his father's shoulder.

_And yet _he _alone shall be Emperor._

"No, it's not true, Your Majesty!" Ansgar said, though he said it while looking at his feet. "He pushed me first! And Kari and Lillian were hitting too!"

Life aboard their little ship, absent all of the children's fathers, had been stressful to say the least. Packed aboard even with just the single Imperial Guard for each had made the situation nearly untenable, and the ship's captain was forced to bunk with his men while they took his cabin, though he had done so graciously.

This trip to England had been ill conceived from the start, with the five children especially. And now with Don paranoid about whatever he'd found aboard those three privateers, and the two ships that had attacked them as they began the final third of their journey towards Londinium.

_Two more days!_

"It doesn't matter, Ansgar, you're the biggest out of all of them." She stood slowly from the little 'throne' that had been provided to her. "I think it's just about time your Father and I have a talk."

Striding past the suddenly frightened little boy, she found the Captain, who was busily triangulating a position on a map near the wheel.

"If we can just come in from the north, as Captain Davidson has ordered, we can avoid the worst of the… Your Majesty!"

All of the men removed their hats and caps, and bowed to her. She waved away their formality, and dove right into the subject.

"I must speak to my husband."

The four men, the Captain and his lieutenants, looked at each other, then towards the distant set of sails that led the little squadron.

"We can easily send him a signal, if you wish, Your Majesty." He said tentatively.

"No, I must speak to him, in person."

"Emperor Don ordered us to maintain our formation, milady." The Captain said very, very carefully. "Or…"

He stopped speaking when she raised her hand.

"Signal him, _now_. Tell him I must speak with him, _now_." She spoke very concisely, trying not to let any anger color her words. "I shall await his reply in my cabin."

She turned and left the Captain and his lieutenants, calling for the children as well. Anna poked her head out of a hatch, looking frazzled as she pulled her daughters out of the hatch, while two other little boys followed her sedately.

"Were we ever this bad, Elsa?" She asked as she dragged her squirming daughters into the cabin with her. "Ivan, Ansgar and Erik nearly unlatched one of the cannons and got themselves crushed."

Her brother-in-law, looking much as Don likely had as an eleven year old boy, looked up with a wry smile. The Crown Prince of Valdiston had very nearly been unable to come on the trip, as Elsa's mother in law had very nearly forbid it. But Don had demanded that Ivan be raised with the other children, the future generation of rulers, and his mother had acquiesced. Now, however, he had become the leader of their own little gang of hellions, since he wasn't one of her children or her sisters. He was very hardheaded, and did his best to disobey Elsa on every occasion he could.

_But he won't disobey Don_. She thought, remembering how the boy idolized his older brother.

Don's uncle, the Duke of Mossberg, had been very reluctant to send his own daughter, fourteen years old and beginning to flower into her beauty, and Don had made a concession there, though she would join the court when she came of age in two years.

She sat and awaited her husband's response.

"Elsa?"

Don cursed himself for having neglected her, as they lay in bed together aboard the _Empress. _He had responded to the _Empress_ signals immediately, having Captain Davidson reduce sail until they came alongside, and then jump between the decks.

He'd been met almost immediately by a pack of what at first reminded him of wild dogs, but what turned into children.

"Brother!" "Uncle Don!" "Father!"

They swarmed him, nearly setting him off balance, but a hand reached out and caught him. Elsa looked back at him sternly as he patted each of the children's heads in turn, and then embraced his wife.

She'd simply met his gaze and jerked her head towards the cabin, the one they now lay in, with the sound of the wind coming over the sternwalk, and the gentle sound of the ocean around them, all coming in through the stern walk, which they had left open to alleviate some of the heat. His wife had spent the next half hour telling him what a moron he was, and how he couldn't go haring off on daring adventures anymore, especially when he left _her _to take care of the children. He'd paddled each of the children in turn, except for Anna's children, who she punished as well, and cut out all of the sweets from their meals each night.

_On the trip back, I'll have to split them up, and put one on each ship. They have to start learning now, so if they can be treated as midshipmen, maybe that will break them of their bad habits._

"What?" Elsa replied angrily. "I'm not in the mood…"

"No, not that," He said, hearing her snort from beside him, "I just wanted to say that I love you."

She rolled over, finally looking at him for the first time since they'd gotten in bed.

"And I love you to… But I won't stand for it, Don." She said. "I won't raise the children alone. You… You could've died during those battles. _Stop putting yourself into harm's way_."

He saw the sense in what she said. He hadn't spent the last ten years building up a fifty thousand strong army just to be the one to lead the charge every time, but…

_Something else pushes me forward. Pride_.

"My Heart," He said quietly, rubbing her upper arm slowly, "I… I _have _to. The army and I are all that protect you, and you must protect the children. Even Ansgar…"

"Why can't you just send him home, Don? He and Ivan are such troublemakers!"

He shushed her, knowing that the boys were just in the second room with Anna.

"Because," He said quietly, "They are family. Ivan, even being eighteen years younger than I am, is still my brother. And Ansgar, even being my bastard, is still my _son_, the same as Erik." He paused, knowing that they were heading into another argument, one they had been having for the past decade, since Duchess Catherine had brought Ansgar to court in Arendelle at Don's behest. "I love them both equally, and I can do nothing else. Speaking of them… I'm thinking of on the trip home allowing Erik's request, for him to be allowed midshipmen duties. As will the other boys."

"No!" Elsa said hotly, smacking his hand away from her side. "I won't allow you to-"

"To give the children much needed discipline?" He responded equally hotly. "They _must _be made midshipmen, I won't have my heir, or the heirs of any of the princedoms be useless _fops_ that have to hang onto their mothers coattails!"

Elsa began to respond, by they both jumped as something flopped to the floor near them. Don sat up, and nearly jumped out of his skin as he beheld the beautiful face of a woman mere inches from his own. A beautiful woman naked from the waist up.

That was when he noticed that it wasn't exactly a woman… Her ears were long, and had almost the look of fins, and he noted as she reached out and touched his face that she had webbing between her fingers.

"_You… You are the Storm Lord_?" The mermaid said. Or he thought she said, because her lips did not move.

"I am." He replied immediately, his hand automatically finding the Brimstone Blade where it leaned next to the bed, and the dagger he'd slipped in between the bed and its frame. "Who, or what, are you?"

"_I am called Turns Gently,"_ The mermaid said, as he saw her fishlike lower body raise itself into view over her head, _"My father, Strikes Fast, wishes to speak to you."_

He felt Elsa tensing beside him, before she finally spoke.

"What, what's going on Don?"

"It… They wish to speak to me." He said simply, standing. "I will be back momentarily."

The mermaid dragged herself towards the rear window, dropping into the water behind with barely a splash.

"Don, wait!" She cried, as he climbed over the railing. "Don't go!"

He smiled at her, blowing her a kiss.

"Elsa, don't worry. I'll be back momentarily."

Then he dropped downwards into the water. He made a larger splash then the lithe little mermaid had, but still not loud enough to register over the noise of a ship at sea. Turning to look back at the _Empress_, he saw her stern lamp swinging gently and…

Elsa peered at him from the aft rail of their cabin, looking worried. He raised his arm in a wave, but something grabbed his legs and pulled him below the waves.

* * *

Down and down he was pulled, until his lungs were screaming in protest. He nearly gave in and began to struggle, but calmed himself, knowing that they would not harm him.

Then he heard it, just barely audible above the water that rushed over his ears. A song, a beautiful, mournful chorus. Then with a suddenness that had him gasping for breath, he found air, dropping down onto the muddy bottom. Looking around, he saw there was a dome or some such thing holding the water back around him.

He gulped the air in, so thankful that it was here. It took him a moment to feel strong enough to stand, but when he did, he jumped, for a face totally unhuman stare at him through whatever was holding the water back.

A great crest puffed out from the creatures head, as his incredibly long body stretched out behind. A webbed and clawed hand reached out, penetrating the membrane.

_That must be how they communicate… _He thought as he reached out, grabbing the merman's hand in his own.

"_I am Strikes Quickly._" The deep voice said within his own mind.

"I am Donner, Emperor of Sweden." He said in response, knowing that they understood his voice. "Why did you bring me here?"

"_You are Steel Heart's child?" _The merman asked, his yellowish eyes flashing with something akin to respect as he spoke that name.

_Steel Heart?_

"Do you mean my father, Ivan?"

An image flashed unasked through his head, of his father, looking even younger then he was.

"Yes, that's my father."

"_Then our prophecies have become true." _Strikes Quickly said, "_Did your father die by your blade?"_

Don felt suddenly cold as he nodded slowly.

"He did, on a battlefield."

"_Then it is the worst of the futures. Steel Heart told you of the great evil?" _Don nodded again, wondering what 'the worst of the futures' meant. "_Then you know that it has already arrived… It is infecting everything even as we speak, working from the darkness."_

Don saw it then, his eyes glossing over as the merman showed him a vision. As good men with good hearts were infected by darkness, he saw the faces of Eugene and the King of Corona among them. He found that he was facing them alone, as they charged at him, as he himself was infected with darkness.

He shook as the merman ended the vision, and fell to his knees, breathing hard. How could he face them all alone, could he kill them all?

Strikes Quickly reached out and placed a hand upon his chest, as he felt a twinge of pain. Looking down at his bare chest, he saw line of black running along his veins, outwards towards his arms. Strange symbols began to form, burning his skin and causing him to grunt as steam rose from his arms. When it was over, he had strange, barely seen scars running up and down his arms, forming strange shapes and forms, like the sleeves of a shirt.

"_Those will ward you against evil… Dreams of Peace_." Strikes Quickly said.

"'Dreams of Peace'?" Don said, confused. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"_That is what your whole being can be distilled down to… That is your name, your true name above all others. For it is the name of your heart, which I have read. It is why you are you, and why you are the hope against this evil. Now, go, before you are missed!"_

Don felt arms grab him, even as he tried to ask another question, as he was borne upwards towards the moonlit night.

* * *

**This one came out a little faster because I kept it short and sweet, and I finished my classes for the summer. I'd really love if you all could leave a review or two of your opinions about how I've advanced the story. Did I do too much of a time jump? **


	3. Chapter 3

"Sire, _please_! You must keep up appearances at the least!"

Don sighed as his personal servant, Daniel, who he'd very carefully placed on a different ship from him, held out his ceremonial clothing. What he liked to call his 'Emperor costume'.

"Fine, Daniel, but I refuse to wear the damned robe! The cloak, the scepter and the crown are enough. If they can't figure out who I am by that, then damn their eyes!"

He stood in front of a mirror, adjusting his uniform. It was the same black and gold as that which his Imperial Guards wore, though he wore no epaulettes, and had dispensed with much of the braid of their full dress uniform. Daniel swung the cloak over his shoulders, and handed him the scepter with one hand, as he placed the crown upon his head, adjusting it studiously.

"There you go, Your Majesty, you look positively royal!" The man said sarcastically.

Don bit back a response about how the servant's salary was going to be cut if he kept it up, but the door opened, and Elsa stepped in, wearing a dress of white, the necklace he had long ago given to her around her neck. Time had been good to her, as she had seemingly grown more beautiful with each year that passed, something he was sure had to do with the maturity that she had embraced. She was elegant and graceful, and he had many times seen Lillian and Kari trying to copy her.

"We're ready to go, Don… My, you look _very _handsome." She smiled, and the room lit up around him. Getting their usual little squabble out of the way at sea had worked out great, as she'd had a few days to get over it, along with the worrying over his newest set of scars.

"I think you look even more beautiful, My Heart," He responded admiring what little of her shapely, "Though, there is a part of me that would much rather tear that…"

He stopped himself mid-sentence, having forgotten Daniel standing there.

"Um, I'd… Alright, let's just go." He said, finally giving up on trying to recover.

Taking Elsa's arm with his own, they exited the cabin, and found Anna and the children waiting for them. The children bowed and curtsied, and even Anna nodded her head slightly, though the high necked collar and corset of her dress precluded her from doing much else.

"A carriage has been provided for your use," A man, wearing one of those silly powdered wigs and an outfit that looked like it had come from the previous century, said, bowing low, "King Harald did not wish for you to deal with the rabble."

Don's lip twitched slightly.

"No, Empress Elsa and I shall walk the path to Winterhall." He said, eliciting a surprised look from the chamberlain. "Princess Anna, the children and their guards will take the carriage."

"But, Your Majesty," The man said, gesturing towards the crowds who had gathered to meet the King's granddaughters and great grandchildren, "You will have to deal with _them_! My Lord did not provide me with enough guards to secure the pathway…"

"Then do not secure it," Don shot back, walking towards the gangway, "My guards shall be all I need."

Stopping at the top, he looped his right arm through Elsa's left, and together they walked down the gangway, accepting the hand of one of his guards when he stumbled slightly.

Londinium, which he had heard was normally shortened to London, was a vast, sprawling city, maybe a little larger than Arendelle was now. The architecture was strange however, with most of the buildings being at least two or three stories, and strange flags flying all about. The people were bright eyed, and cheered when he and Elsa stopped and waved.

"Not a very large crowd." He said out of the corner of his mouth, smiling and waving even so.

"It's the middle of the day, My Love," Elsa responded in kind, "Don't take any offense."

He nodded slightly, as Anna and the children followed them down. They were ushered by their guards towards a waiting carriage, which had already been searched top to bottom for any kind of trap, and pulled away soon after.

The crowd seemed almost confused when Don and Elsa remained, and their confusion only grew when they strolled forward, guards marching close behind with their rifles on their shoulders.

Two weeks they would be staying here, and then on to Paix to visit Jacques.

_And then home._ He thought, hoping the next month would go by faster.

* * *

"A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesties."

The Earl of Marlborough swept a bow as Elsa and Don entered the courtyard of Winterhall, the crowds still cheering behind them even as the gilded gates were closed behind them.

"We thought it most unconventional that you did not take the carriage we provided to you," The Earl said, "But we understand the… _symbolism_."

Elsa felt Don tense beside her at the mans' ironic tone, and so she moved to head off his retort.

"Thank you, My Lord," She said, bowing slightly, as Don dipped his head, "We must apologize for our tardiness, but we suffered a few mishaps upon our journey here. My husband is still uneasy over what occurred."

"Understandable." The Earl replied simply, before gesturing towards the door, his white, curled wig almost taking flight as a gust of wind caught it. "The King awaits your presence."

The doors open, and Elsa was suddenly hit by a wave of sound, like a physical body blow. Music thundered from the absolutely _massive _throne room, with its vaulted ceilings that had to be at least a hundred feet high.

Inside there appeared to be a carnival going on, complete with a… a Ferris wheel in one corner, and a merry go round turning in another. Lights, colorful lights, flickered on and off everywhere, even as a full band played from the corner just to Elsa and Don's right.

"If you would please follow me!" They could barely understand the Earl as he yelled over the noise. "Please stay close, some of the partygoers have been at it for much, much too long!"

Don took her arm, and led them in, with their two personal guards a step behind and a step to the side, hands resting wearily on their pistols.

Men and women frolicked, some of them cavorting in the nude, in an almost carefree and childlike manner. Masks, some grotesque and horrific, seemed to be the norm, with only a few waiters not employing this type of disguise.

As they walked, Elsa felt a hand wrap around her wrist, and turned to see a fat old man, naked as the day he'd burst into life, drunkenly trying to wrap his arms around her. Don began to shift, to plant a fist into the man's face, but Elsa guard, Duncan Worley, was already moving. His own hand locked onto the fat man's wrist, prying it from his Empress' hand, while his other hand pulled the man's shirt up and over his head.

With a contemptuous kick, Duncan sent the men sprawling backwards, before returning to his position at Elsa's flank. She smiled lightly and nodded, having grown very used to the man's presence, and his good judgment.

The Earl had paused and looked back at the ruckus, but returned to his stately pace through the crowds of people. Don's hand began to squeeze her own tighter and tighter as they grew closer to the barely visible throne that rose up above the masses.

King Harold, likely one of the oldest men that either of them had met, was lounging in the throne, with a naked young girl, likely barely of age, sitting across his lap. He was feeding her grapes one at a time with one hand, while he groped her nether regions with his free hand.

_And this… this is my noble grandfather._

That was when her eyes shifted slightly to the left, to a slightly smaller throne with a woman sitting rigidly upon its hard wooden surface. Her long black hair hung around her face like curtains, even as the heavy crown upon her head threatened to pull her head down.

"Don…" She said into his ear, as they came to a stop at the bottom of the dais. "Don't do anything drastic."

He turned and looked down at her, his eyes flashing with an uncommonly vicious anger. She'd seen him kill, and seen him rage, and never had she been _accepting _of that side of him… But now she saw a reason for a bit of righteous anger, that she even saw welling up inside herself.

"May I now present the Emperor and Empress of Sweden!" Earl Marlborough announced, looking officious with his hands tucked into the pockets of his antiquated jacket.

But no one took notice, the King continuing to feed his plaything, and the other revelers continued to frolic, and in all honesty, fuck.

_Luckily the children aren't here…_ She thought, wondering momentarily after them.

But Elsa felt eyes watching them, green eyes that seemed to plead with her, as the Queen of England raised her thin, girlish neck to look at the two newcomers. Elsa met her gaze, and simply nodded, as clouds began to form inside the room. Dark clouds.

Thunder rolled, a deafening noise that echoed off of the stone walls, causing dust to fall from above. And then the rain began to fall. Not a pleasant rain, but a hard driving rain that pelted people like angry bees. All except Elsa, Don and the Queen.

Men and women ran for cover, as the King himself shielded himself with a nearby cloak.

The rain and clouds stopped, dispelling quickly, as the King's bleary eyes finally found them. But it was not he who spoke first, it was an average looking fellow wearing the clothing of an upper level priest, a bishop, of the Church.

"What is the _meaning _of this!" He nearly screamed. "How dare you enter this hallowed, holy chamber and use your witchcraft!"

"Yes, yes, what is the meaning of this?" Harald said from his throne, as he tossed the naked girl from his lap.

Earl of Marlborough saved Elsa and Don from what would likely have been a fiery exchange of words, by repeating his announcement.

"May I now present the Emperor and Empress of Sweden!"

Elsa felt Don seething, as the King stood, his pants nearly dropping around his ankles as he did so.

"Ah, yes, my granddaughter and that young whippersnapper husband of hers, the Pirate King's son."

"That would be King Ivan of Valdiston, Your Majesty." Don said angrily. "And I must protest this _foul _treatment you have heaped upon my family. Who if I may remind you, _you _yourself invited us."

The King blinked in surprise at Don's scathing tone, even as several of the nobles who had seemingly been hiding behind the throne poked their heads out, as if they were sharks who smelled blood in the water.

"Foul treatment?" The priest said. "It is _you _who are foul! My King, you cannot allow these unclean heretics into your presence! Expel them!"

"You have no right to advise the King, _Bishop_ _Anders_," Someone said, as the Count of Birmingham stepped out from behind the Queen's throne, "Watch your tongue in this chamber, or you may find it removed and sent to your Pope."

Elsa nearly laughed, watching the young looking Bishop turn purple with rage. But he was clearly smart enough not to test the threat. Though this seemed to reveal a strange dynamic going on…

"Your Majesties," Marlborough drew their attention, "May I present the Crown Prince, the Count of Birmingham."

_So, he either moved up the line of succession, or he simply neglected to tell us…_

"Hello, again, dear cousin." The Count said, smiling. "I must apologize for the subterfuge on our last visit, but the line of succession had not been decided upon at that time."

"Cousin?" Elsa asked, one of her eyebrows rising slightly.

"My father was your mother's eldest brother, of the main line of succession." He said. "There are several different lines, for obvious reasons… Queen Primrose of Corona for instance comes from a secondary line."

Elsa simply nodded, even though she most certainly had not known that.

"That is beside the point," Don interjected, "I am on the verge of returning to my ships and sailing home. I have more important things to do then allow my family to be insulted."

"What insult have we done to you, Emperor? This party was being thrown in honor of your arrival!" The King said. "A carnival so splendid that not even the ancients could compare!"

_Ah, he idolizes Greek culture… No wonder there was so much nudity._

"A 'carnival', King Harald?" Don ground out through clenched teeth, "All I see are pampered nobles slinging their bloated selves around at each other. To think that _this _would honor my families visit was the height of folly, and a grave insult. Come, My Heart, we are taking our leave!"

He took Elsa's hand in his own, and together they began to march through the crowd, their guards tailing them. Outside, they found Anna and the children waiting, their carriage apparently having been held up.

"What's going on?" Anna asked as she saw the fury on Don's face, and the mild distaste on Elsa's. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, quite a bit." Elsa heard Don ground out as he stalked past her, heading towards the column of Imperial Guards. "Apparently, King Harald, our noble grandfather, decided that a scene of debauchery, a 'carnival', would be the best way to meet us."

Anna squealed as someone pushed out of the doors, behind Elsa's back. The children's eyes grew wide, even as Elsa spun around. The fat man who had grabbed her was drunkenly walking towards them, his girth thankfully covering his genitals.

"Hey!" He roared, his words slurring, as the Earl of Marlborough charged out of the doors behind him. "'ow dare you speak to My King in such a way! Dis'onor such as 'at cannot be allowed!"

That was when Elsa noticed the pistol in his hand, pointed in her general direction. Duncan, seeing the threat, stepped to cover her, even as he drew a pair of pistols from their holsters. She saw it then, the massive incident that was about to transpire. Either this man would kill Elsa, Don or one of the children, or Duncan would be forced to kill him.

_A major diplomatic incident…_ She thought, imagining how terrible this would be for them.

Duncan and the man fired at the same time, smoke and fire flashing from their barrels as the conical bullets went for the kill.

But the bullets didn't tear into flesh. They didn't even make it past the halfway point, as a wall of ice several feet thick leapt out of the ground to catch them, cracking slightly as the heavy lead bullets embedded themselves. That was followed by a rush of events that sent her head spinning.

"Get that pistol away from Admiral Loren!" Marlborough yelled to a pair of Household guards, as the fat man stood in shock at the towering wall of ice in front of him, which began to melt away before his eyes. The two men tackled the 'Admiral', wrestling the still smoking pistol from his struggling arms.

Elsa heard a loud pop from behind her, and for a moment thought another pistol had been fired, but instead found Captain Simon, head of their detail of guards, standing in a cloud of yellow tinted smoke. Above him, a new star hung, a trail of smoke leading up into it.

"Secure their Majesties!" He called, as the column of Guards broke apart, rifles no longer sitting upon their shoulders. Fifty bayonets glinted in the sunlight, as a combat square was formed around Elsa and her family. "Prepare to walk the square!"

A guttural noise escaped the throats of their guards, even as the Earl held up his hands, palms out.

"Please… _Please!_ Can we not have a little order? Put your weapons away, there is no need for violence!"

"Your man there just attempted to assassinate Their Majesties!" Simon called out from his position. "Do not make any move or we shall be forced to retaliate! Our ships have already been warned, and will provide support at my signal!"

He held another flare gun, in addition to the drawn sword that was a mark of his rank given to him directly from Marshall Oberon. She also saw Don take the fur lined cloak and his crown and hand them to Erik, before his hands went to the Brimstone Blade and a pistol. He walked over to stand next to her, in front of the children and Anna, who stood in shocked silence, their personal guards hovering protectively.

Another figure appeared in the doorway.

The courtyard grew still as the Queen of England appeared. Her heavy robes of state hung over her like an oversized skin, seeming as if it were trying to pull her downwards under its weight, she looked downwards, almost appearing to be watching her feet. She strode forth, however, passing the still struggling Admiral Loren. She passed the cordon of guards, two of them moving slightly aside to allow her through, before coming to a halt in front of Don and Elsa.

And then, much to everyone's shock, she went to her knees in front of them. Then she finally looked up.

"Please, Your Majesties, please forgive our terrible welcoming." She said, a heavy accent marring her speech slightly. She struggled with each syllable, but her green eyes held all the truth they needed to see. "My… husband… the King, does not know… _think _too well anymore. Please forgive us."

Elsa felt her heart going out to the Queen, but Don beat her to it. He went to a knee in front of her, his face calming considerably.

"Get off your knees, Queen…" Don asked tentatively, as the Queen looked at him.

"Yalena of Russia."

Don nodded. He flicked a questioning eye towards her, and she simply shrugged. He held out a hand that engulfed her own as he lifted her easily to her feet.

"Where is your husband?" Elsa asked, stepping close to the younger woman. "My grandfather, I mean."

Her face creased, making her look much older, and assumed a look of great distaste. The same look when one first tastes something unpleasant.

"He has retired to his chambers… In company with that… that…" She paused, taking a moment to steady herself. "She is a… a foreigner like me. I don't know where from. But she appeared at court and soon after I found the King and her in our chamber… together. I'm forced to sleep in a guest room…"

"That shall stop, Your Majesty." Elsa looked at Don in shock as he spoke. "Captain! Break the square, return to your previous position and fire an all clear signal!"

Captain Simon looked as if he wished he could not have heard the order, but he complied with only a slight hesitation. Admiral Loren had been dragged away, screaming the whole time, and no longer blocked their path.

"Now," Don said, taking Elsa's arm in his own and gesturing for the Queen to walk with them, "Let us try this debacle once again!"


End file.
